Foxy Doxie

 

 

As it always seems to turn out, a quick weekend trip back in February 2013 turned into an extremely memorable one. The plan was to head up to the ranch in the Texas hill country, pull trail cameras, pick up pop up blinds to prevent weathering and damage, feed the cows and maybe do a little calling for predators and varmints. This wonderful piece of land is only populated with deer, varmints and predators so without hogs and turkey to hunt year round we try not to leave equipment out all year to prolong its use.

The first night we decided to set up by a small tank and use the Foxpro electronic caller. The moon was full so we had to remain concealed. As my husband and I scanned the area with our green lights we hadn’t seen much. We like to call in one area for about 20 minutes before moving on. We were using a woodpecker in distress call and right at the 20 minute mark we caught a glimpse of some eyes in the distance that quickly disappeared. We waited for a few minutes but never saw them again so we moved on.

We headed to another part of the ranch and set up to call near an open field and another tank. About 10 minutes in we saw a small grey fox come running in behind us. I was unable to take a shot because the cows had also come in to see what all the noise was and he ran right near the cows. I wasn’t in the mood for hamburger so I passed. It’s always important to know what is beyond your shot to prevent any accidents, especially at night. He circled around us and came out pretty far away. I tried for a shot with the 17HMR but with the distance he was at it didn’t quite work out. We decided to end the night and try again the next day.

The next morning we got up and headed back out to the first tank we had called at the night before. This time we set the call for the cottontail duet and waited. The fog was heavy, pretty much raining on us making it hard to see too far into the distance. About 15 minutes later a grey fox came over the tank running right at us. I picked up the 17HMR and took a shot; I hit him and he started spinning around. As we watched his fluffy tail in the tall broom weed I waited for a clear follow up shot but he never provided one. We grabbed the shotgun and headed in his direction and searched for about 30 minutes but couldn’t find him. With the fog, rain, and 3 foot tall broom weed it was nearly impossible to find such a well camouflaged animal in the mess. We called it off to go finish working on the ranch.

After about 5 hours of work, lunch, and feeding cows I decided it might be a good idea to go look for the fox again. This time however we enlisted the help of Muzzy, our miniature dachshund who has been learning to track deer with us. He was only 2 years old and but has a great nose so we took him over to the tank; there wasn’t any blood where I had shot the fox but all Muzzy needed to smell was where the fox had been standing and he was off with his nose to the ground. A few minutes later Muzzy had found blood and was on a mission. We followed close behind watching everywhere he stopped as he found more and more blood.

As you can imagine this took some time because Muzzy is so small and close to the ground he must maneuver through the tall brush and broom weed instead of being able to leap and bound over it like most larger dogs; but we trust him and just had patience. Almost 500 yards later Muzzy started to pick up speed and so did we. A few moments later he was barking and had found the fox…alive but wounded. Before we could catch up to him, Muzzy had grabbed the fox by his throat with his mouth, drug him out if the brush and was slinging him to the ground fighting him to the end. Go Muzzy!

Because this was one of Muzzy’s first real tracking encounters with a live animal, we weren’t sure how he was going to react but Muzzy got the job done. My shot was slightly low only broke the front leg and shoulder of the fox; it was enough for a great blood trail but not enough for a quick expiration. Thanks to our awesome doxie and his nose we were able to recover my fox.


Afterward Muzzy was a proud puppy of his kill and wanted to be in the picture with me. For those of you that have hunting dogs you know the feeling of pride you get when your hunting buddy succeeds and this was no different. He may not be your typical hunting dog but he has tracked 2 deer so far and now tracked and finished off my grey fox.

It was a wonderful success story for a quick trip. We were able to get our ‘chores’ done, have a little fun, and make another unforgettable memory. So even if you only have the weekend, get out there because sometimes the quick spontaneous trips end up being some of the best ones!

Update a few years later: Muzzy is almost 4 years old, has tracked many more deer, a few hogs, killed some birds, and a squirrel to add to his list. He also loves fishing with us! Although small he is mighty!

 

 

 

Squirrely Sunday Surprise

 

As I have said so many times before, sometimes the most memorable moments happen on a spur of the moment trip or when you least expect it and it rang true once again. As I was leaving for the weekend from work someone asked me “you gonna kill anything this weekend?” Most people I work with are intrigued with my lifestyle and some just don’t understand it but most know that I hunt. Clearly they don’t use the proper language all the time and for others in earshot it sounds horrendous, but I knew what they meant (and so did most everybody else). I said no I was headed to my hometown to spend some time with my family and attend a few events with them. No hunting on this trip.

I love going back home because of all the memories and it is always a sort of get away from the chaos at work and where I live now. Most of the weekend was uneventful but refreshing, just spending quality time with the family, and letting my dachshund Muzzy play with other dogs and run free. A huge portion of my time was spent painting

 

garden stones and lawn and yard art for my mom. I love helping her out and the ‘paint-by-numbers’ is easy enough for this artsy-challenged girl to just be crafty! Sitting and catching up while painting outside was so calming and relaxing. Some birds were chirping, the hummingbirds wings were buzzing as they sipped the red nectar from the feeder, the blue jays were squawking and eating the peanuts put out for them, and the squirrels were chattering.

Yes the destructive squirrels had been making their presence known in the garden, mulch areas of the trees, wood piles, and all throughout the property. My parents have been battling these pests for quite some time too and were getting frustrated. Most counties in Texas do not have a closed season or bag limit for squirrel and this county was one of them. It was open season all year long and game on! We had spotted a few near the fence line of the property but safe shots were not possible with their current locations. So patience was important…

My trip was nearing the end and I was packing up to head back home. I had one last garden stone to paint that I was working on outside enjoying my last few refreshing moments. My mom had been walking around the property looking for squirrels when I heard her yell for me! The pellet gun hadn’t been sighted in so I grabbed a .22 and headed toward her. The plan in my mind was to shoot the squirrel and knock it down so my dachshund Muzzy could get him. He is still young and although he has taken a fox and tracked a few deer, I wanted him to experience the fight of a squirrel. Dog training at its finest!

As I creeped up I could see the big squirrel flattened out on a limb high above me. Muzzy hadn’t seen her yet because she wasn’t moving and was pretty high up, but I wanted to get her down for him to have. Unfortunately, my killer instinct took over and I saw myself putting the crosshairs near the heart. I was afraid of trying for a wounding shot and either missing or not having her fall out of the tree. I always try for the best shot possible to prevent wounding any animal so I knew I was doing the right thing and it actually made me happy that my first and natural choice was for the proper shot.

As I pulled the trigger the squirrel fell to the ground. It was over for her except for when Muzzy came in to make sure she was expired. He was so excited and was getting the taste and scent of squirrel that I knew would only benefit him later for another squirrel hunt. Although I would have loved to have seen him take on the squirrel this was just as good at educating him. He sniffed all around her, tasted a little blood, and even got aggressive when I wanted to take her away from him. Good Puppy!! Haha

So although my squirrely surprise Sunday was unplanned it was definitely a great time. I was able to help my parents eliminate a pest, educate my dog on another animal to hunt, and satisfy my hunting needs for the weekend! A success in my book every time!!